(1) Introduction
The present invention relates to an apparatus for radioactive treatment at the abnormal area (focus of a disease) inside the human body and the method using the same, and particularly to a apparatus for radioactive treatment with a new mechanical structure for transporting a radioactive source.
The apparatus have two independently driving reels with grooves, by which a cable with a radioactive source at its end is driven to transport the radioactive source into the abnormal area of the human body along a guide hose inserted in the human body in advance to carry out a radioactive treatment.
(2) Description of Prior Art
At present, the apparatus for treating a part of the human body with radioactive material has two driving rolls respectively with a helical groove on its periphery and two cables, one of which has a real source (radioactive material) at one of its ends and the other of which has a dummy (a nonradioactive materials has the same shape and size as the real one). The cables are wound around and driven by the rolls. The rotation of the rolls stretches or winds the cables so that the dummy or real source can be transported into the human body to carry out a treatment or determine the position of the abnormal area and condition of the guide tube line.
During the period of treatment, the cable with a dummy is first driven by a roll to transport the dummy to the abnormal area along the tube inserted in the human body to determine whether the hose is unblocked. Then, the dummy is moved back and another roll drives the other cable with a real source so that the real source is transported to the abnormal area to finish the treatment.
However, in this apparatus, the cables are respectively wound along the helical grooves of the rolls and the length of the helical groove limits the transporting distance of the real source.delta.ummy, which results in the limitation of the treatment to the abnormal area at the deep part of the human body. Further, the prior apparatus has another disadvantage of too many parts because of requirement of two cables to transport a real source and a dummy respectively.
Accordingly, the object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for radioactive treatment inside the human body, which comprises only one cable with a real source and has advantages of long distance of the extension of the cable and of conveniently changing the extending distance by using cables with various lengths.